


Honeybee

by orphan_account



Category: Steam Powered Giraffe
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-01
Updated: 2014-03-09
Packaged: 2018-01-10 18:16:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1162948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I was a statue.</p><p>I never thought I’d be anything other than that, well, I never thought period. I was just thrown together pieces of metal, glued so perfectly into place that I resembled a dancing woman. I was a work of art. Beautiful, if the sun hit me a certain way. The light would bounce off and would make me look shining, glowing.</p><p>But one day, a young inventor saw me. It was a fairground, where I was placed. A beautiful dancing woman on a pedestal stuck between the patches of flowers in front of a concert hall. The man saw me and an idea struck him, what if this woman could move?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Grin's The Sweetest

**Author's Note:**

> so about these two stories ive put up in the past couple days..  
> i found them both buried in my google documents. weird how i never finished them, they were such good stories. so i did finish them. and now i present them to you.
> 
> this was written before rabbit's gender change, which is why rabbit is male in this story. i also figured it's before the change happened in canon so hey, let's just keep it how it is. enjoy!

I was a statue. 

I never thought I’d be anything other than that, well, I never thought period. I was just thrown together pieces of metal, glued so perfectly into place that I resembled a dancing woman. I was a work of art. Beautiful, if the sun hit me a certain way. The light would bounce off and would make me look shining, glowing. 

But one day, a young inventor saw me. It was a fairground, where I was placed. A beautiful dancing woman on a pedestal stuck between the patches of flowers in front of a concert hall. The man saw me and an idea struck him, what if this woman could move? 

He talked with the people who owned the fairground and asked if he could take on a project with the girl in front of the concert hall. The owners replied, we don’t see why not. 

Thus began the Honeybee project. I was worked on for many a year, the man slaved over gears and coils. Many tears, cuts, and bruises were shed. The man still went on, he still would not give up on helping the dancing woman move. It was Spring, a month before the fair was supposed to go back into business for Summer. The man brought his woman, veiled by a sheet, to the fairground and presented it to the owners. They were thrilled about the woman and immediately hired the young man to work on further advances for the fair. 

I was placed where I originally was, only now, not on a pedestal. I was now on my own stage, an accomplishment I found wonderful. In big script behind me, “Honeybee, The Amazing Beautiful Automaton!” 

I was not sure if those adjectives were truly describing me, but whenever a young child stopped to look at me or a group of adults gazed at my dance, I felt them. I felt amazing, beautiful. 

But I didn’t feel alive. The beautiful leaping bee girl with the silver wings and golden face was me. I was programmed to know that was me. I was programmed to know what I was supposed to do. 

The fair went on and I was a hit, everyone came from far and wide to see the new robot at the fair. People gazed and gasped, whenever I would twirl around the stage. They’d clap, I’d bow, I’d exit. That’s it. Next show, Clap, Bow, Exit. Next show, Clap, Bow, Exit. This is what the programming told me. 

It was one evening, the last show of the night, when I bowed and exited as usual. But instead of walking back and shutting down, I bumped into a tall man. 

“Excuse me.” I shrieked, not used to using my voice box. They installed it, sure. But I had never used it in performance so I had not had practice. The man didn’t seem fazed or even seemed to notice my appearance before him, so I said louder, “Excuse me.” 

He turned and for once, I felt shock. This was not a man of flesh, It was a man of pure metal, much like my own face. Though, different. He was a copper man. I was a golden girl. 

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean ta’ intrude!” The copper man apologizes, looking around frantically. “This must be your tent. Sorry! I was lookin’ for mine. Any idea where ta’ Steam Man Band’s supposed to play?” He asks, as if I know an answer. I shake my head. 

“I don’t get to go around the fair.” I explain, blankly staring up at him. His photoreceptors widen, an expression I’ve never seen stare back at me in a mirror. How could this robot have so much... feeling? 

“Ya’ mean you’ve neva’ had any cotton candy? Rode the ferris wheel?” He asks, listing a few. I shake my head once again, feeling a bit annoyed that I’m being prevented from just shutting down until the next performance like I’m supposed to. 

“Frankly, I don’t know what either of those are.” I mutter, trying to make my way around him. He puts a hand on my shoulder and I feel my gears tense up. 

“You’re jokin’,” He says, “Please tell me you’s jokin’!” 

“I’m afraid not, sir.” I sigh, trying to have some politeness remain as I move his hand off my shoulder. “I’d much appreciate if you find whatever tent you’re supposed to be present in and be on your way, I must shut down.” I explain. He raises a brow before opening his mouth for an inevitable protest. 

“That’s no fun! You should go see the fair, it’s very fun. My brothers and I have already walked ‘round!” He excitedly exclaims, I nod to show him that I’m at least listening, even if a tad annoyed. “You should come with me! At least ta’ help me find my own tent.” 

“Of course not!” I shout, as if the obvious is right under his nose. He seems taken aback and stumbles a bit to form other words. 

“Why?” He manages to choke out. 

“Why? Why...” I answer, Trying to look through my wirings. There’s nothing telling me I can’t go walk around. There’s no programming telling me I have to stay. There’s nothing keeping me here. 

“I don’t know. I guess I will go with you.” I sigh, admitting defeat. His frown immediately turns the other way and he grabs my hand and plows out of the tent, I stumble behind him, struggling to keep up. “Who are you, anyway, sir?” I ask as he jerks my arm to the point I wonder if it’d snap off. 

“Oh, I’m Rabbit!” He retorts, happily. “Not sir. What’s your name?” He asks me. I don’t know why it takes me a moment to say it, but there definitely was hesitation. 

“I am called Honeybee.” I reply, looking around the fair for the first time. He slows down so that I can take in the surroundings, a man giving a box of popcorn to a young child. A couple on a date waiting in line for a carnival game. A girl whining to her mother about wanting a certain stuffed creature and her mother telling her they don’t have more money to spend. It’s interesting, more interesting than just shutting down in a dusty old tent like I’ve done since I was powered on. 

It seems Rabbit did not need any help finding his way to his tent, as he follows a certain path and gets there within minutes. I see another flash of metal and I know that he is not the only robot in this musical group. Sure enough, a taller silver man exits the tent, looking relieved that the other robot has found his way back. 

“Rabbit, we were looking all over for you, we’re about to go on.” The silver robot announces. He turns to me and raises a brow, turning his gaze back towards Rabbit, as if ignoring my presence. “Who is this?” He asks him. I’m slightly annoyed that he asks Rabbit instead of me, as I’m right here and would be perfectly fine telling him, but I feel a hint of relief as he called me a ‘who’ instead of a ‘what’, not something I heard every day. I let Rabbit answer with my name. 

“Honeybee! She’s a dancin’ robot over by the haunted houses!” He shouts, a bit too loud for my liking. I hadn't ever noticed my stage was near the haunted houses, but now that I think about it, it most certainly was. 

“Well, why is she here?” He asks, then turning to me, not waiting for an answer to the question. “I’m The Spine.” He mutters, before turning and going back into the tent the way he came. Rabbit takes my hand and jerks me into the tent with him. With all this pulling, it’s a wonder my arm hasn’t fallen off yet. 

“There’s someone else I want you to meet!” Rabbit babbles, acting as if we’ve been friends for ages. I groan and follow him, not as if I had a choice or anything. “Jon?” He calls, putting a hand up to his mouth for amplification. “Joooon!” 

Right in front of us, out falls a golden robot from the ceiling. I screech as it hits the floor by my feet. The robot stares at us blankly before a grin appears on his face and he erupts with laughter. 

“The Jon, what on earth was you doin’ on the roof?” Rabbit asks, I flinch at the improper grammar. Who programmed this man’s speech? 

“Talking to the birds, of course!” ‘The Jon’ replies, as if obvious. He stands up and brushes his pants off before extending a hand out to me. “The Jon Walter, Ma'am!” He states. I give him my hand and he gives it a firm shake. 

“I’m Honeybee.” I say, for about the hundredth time it feels. It’s weird, meeting all these robots in one day. It’s overwhelming- I’ve never met another machine like me. The Jon grins and tips his hat. 

“Is Honeybee going to be watchin’ the show?” Jon asks, in a pleading voice, asking for permission. Rabbit looks to me. 

“I think that’s up to her!” He smiles and for the first time today, I get to make my own decision. I stare at his eyes. Something’s different in his expression to me, and it makes something in my chest tick. It’s warm, it feels like home. How do I know what home feels like? The fair is certainly not home, my tent isn’t close. What is home to me? Why do I see it in Rabbit? 

“Alright.” I say, smiling for the first time since the performance, I hear Rabbit take a sharp breath and I see steam escape the vents in the side of his face. 

“Perfect! I’ll go find you a spot to sit, Miss Honeybee!” The Jon giggles and I grin at him. I then watch as he runs out of the backstage area. When I turn my attention back to Rabbit, I find that he’s still staring at me and I frown. 

“No, No. Don’t do that.” He says, startling me. 

“What do you mean?” I ask him, “Did I do something wrong? I apologize.” 

He looks to the ground for a moment and rubs his forearm. “You’re so beautiful when you smile.” He announces before following The Jon outside. 

My first instinct is to follow him, but then, I stop myself. I process what he had said and looked down at the ground, scrunching my eyebrows together. Really? I am? I never knew. Well, I’ve never been told. I normally don’t hear compliments, as people don’t think I can take compliments. I never really looked into my small pocket mirror backstage and thought that I was the adjective, just that I was metal. But, hearing it from another robot’s lips just solidified it for me. 

I’m beautiful when I smile. 

So, because of the statement, I put on my best smile and follow the robots outside. The Jon beams at me from the audience, waving me over and pointing to a seat in the front row. Their show is much different than mine, Mine is outside, a few benches in front of it as seats. Theirs was inside a larger tent, twinkling lights draped across the wooden poles that held it up and paper lanterns glowing from the poles that made up the ceiling. The floor was wooden, that was different. Most of the ground on the fairground is concrete. The stage was different as well, the lights made the area feel so warm, so happy. The stage seemed to gleam with them on, the light bouncing off the light brown wood, put together to form the wonderful stage. A large banner, quite like my own, wore the band’s name. It was beautiful, to say the least. It was perfect for the odd band, the three robot brothers. 

The Jon left with a small salute-like wave and bounced back inside the smaller tent. I sat down, anticipating the performance. I turned my head to the entrance. It was dark out, the sun was setting when I finished my performance. Tired children with fully awake parents filed in, the couple I saw waiting in line earlier, families that have spent their whole day here are stopping for one last show. I grew more and more excited, I had no idea what to expect from the three other robots. A young man takes a seat beside me, no more than thirteen. He stares at me, in wonder, before growing bored that I was just sitting there, waiting for the show to start, and turning back to the family he came with. 

Once the tent is filled to the brim with people, with a slight murmur of voices, an announcer says the show will be starting soon. I scoot onto the edge of my seat, eager to see the other robots once again. 

The curtains open and in the middle stands the Spine, to his right stands Jon and to his left stands Rabbit. The Spine has a guitar and the Jon has a mandolin, but Rabbit does not have an instrument. They start up a wonderful song called, “Clockwork Vaudeville”, play a few other songs, and end with a song named “Brass Goggles” that everyone seems to love. I smile and clap with the rest of the audience after each song, and after the concerts over and everyone flees the tent, I slowly make my way to the back of the stage where Rabbit stands smiling. 

“Well?” He asked, crossing his arms and smiling, waiting for a reaction. 

“It was wonderful! You and your brothers truly are talented. I’m a tad jealous.” I exclaim, grinning with all my might and twirling a cord of my hair. Rabbit then frowns and I frown as well, “What’s wrong this time?” 

“You’re jealous? You shouldn’t be, Honeybee, you’re the most beautiful dancer in the world! I envy that.” He sighs, sitting on a chair at the side of the stage. 

“I don’t mean that.” I whisper, joining him and sitting across from him, “I mean I’m jealous with the bond you share with the others. It’s truly amazing. I wish I had a... a..” 

“A family?” He interrupts. I look at my feet and nod slightly. “You really don’t have anyone here?” 

“No,” I whisper and look up at him, hesitating to say, “I mean, not since you came. I’ve never really talked to anyone else but you made me talk.” 

“Good,” He smiled, leaning back in his chair and almost falling over, “It gets pretty lonely having your thoughts bottled up for years, I know.” 

I noticed now the significant lack of accent in his voice, as if he weren’t trying for it anymore. It made me feel happier, it meant he felt a bit more comfortable around me, not that he wasn’t before. 

“Well, Us robots have to power down for the night. I’m sorry I stole you away from your show-” 

“Show me around.” I blurted out, after much contemplation. He stared at me with wide eyes and his voice was low as he said, “What?” 

“Show me around. You said yourself, why do we have to power down? Rabbit, Please show me around the fair.” I say, smiling at him like a child asking for a new toy. He took one look at my grin and his own showed that he had agreed. He stood before me and held out his hand. 

“Miss Honeybee, It would be my honor to escort you around the World’s Fair.” 

“I may be crazy, but I must accept your invitation.” I smiled and took his hand. He helped me up and then slowly brought my hand to his lips and pressed them against the flat surface. I felt the metal in my face heat up. 

“I never thought you were crazy, then again, I’m probably a little crazy as well.” Rabbit smiled and walked off with me, hand in hand, towards the stars and cool air of the night. “But what do I know?”


	2. Ignite My Circuits

“Goooood morning, Miss Honeybee!” I heard as I powered on, blinking and viewing Rabbit’s large smile and a daisy in his hand. I smiled and took the flower, I’ve been woken up the same way for the past couple days and was just starting to get used to it.

“Good morning, Rabbit. What are we going to do today?” I asked, knowing very well he probably planned our whole day the night before, as usual. He took my hand and pulled me up as he spun me around my dressing room. 

“What aren’t we going to do today? I was thinking go play some games and then when it gets dark and the fair lights up, we can go on the ferris wheel!” He paused in his dance and smiled, “Of course, All after your show as usual. I can wait.” 

I thought for a moment and nodded. It wouldn’t be so kind to my bosses if I were to skip the show and run off with a robot, of course. They took a lot of care in making sure I was safe and ready for shows here, it would be rude. I unhooked my hand from his and grabbed my wings off my dresser. “Would you mind helping me snap the wings in?” I ask, holding them out to him and pointing to the crevices on my back. 

“My pleasure.” He whispered and placed the wings in my back. I felt a click, and they were secured. I gave a twirl to make sure they didn’t fly off and smiled at Rabbit. 

“Lovely.” He complimented, smiling so big that I was starting to think the wires in his cheeks short circuited. I grinned and spun again. 

“If only I really could fly, would that not be wonderful?” I asked, jumping a tiny bit. He chuckled and shrugged, making his way to the door. I stopped dancing for a moment and frowned, starting to hear the murmur of an audience forming outside. I thought about all the days I’ve spent doing the exact same thing, over and over, with no say in what I can and can’t do. “I would fly away from here.” I said blankly, without thinking. 

Rabbit paused as he reached for the door knob, turning back to face me. “You would?” He asked, his smile faltering. “But why? Isn’t this your home?” 

“I suppose it is,” I sigh, sitting down in front of my vanity, looking at the polished mirror and into my own glowing eyes and golden metal face. “But I feel like there is a lot more I could see, other than what’s around this fair. I have been here my whole existence, Is this all there is?” 

“Of course not. There’s so much more to see and do out there! There’s rivers, and mountains, and forests and cities.” Rabbit interrupted, waving his arms and motioning largeness, but I just felt small. 

“I want to see them.” I smiled and I saw Rabbit’s reflection in the mirror grin, walking over and placing a hand on my shoulder. “It’ is probably much better than my stage.” 

“I’ll take you to see them all someday, Miss Honeybee.” Rabbit promised, “Oh, I forgot. I got you a present.” He said, putting his index finger up and running out of the room quickly. He came back in just as fast as he left and he held out a frilled umbrella. “I saw it in one of the shops here and thought it was beautiful. Naturally, I thought of you.” 

“Oh my goodness, thank you, Rabbit.” I smiled, taking the umbrella and looking it over. “Maybe I will use it in my show today, Is it sunny out?” 

“Yes, it’s pretty hot out. It might be good for you to use the umbrella, to keep from overheating.” He offered. I nodded and got up to give him a big hug, burying my face into his shoulder. 

“Thank you!” I whispered. He stood there grinning like an idiot, as I took the frilled umbrella and hurried out of the room and out onto the stage. 

After my performance was over and the crowd had had their last cheer, I slipped back into my dressing room and checked how I looked in the mirror. To test it out, I stared a little into it before giving my biggest smile. Rabbit was right, I looked much better with a smile on my face than I did with a frown. I looked down at my vanity and spotted the daisy he had given me earlier sitting on top of my wooden table. I smiled and picked it up, tucking it neatly behind my ear and leaving the room to find Rabbit. I walked down the short hallway and head the sound of footsteps coming towards me. “Rabbit?” 

“Rabbit?” A voice echoed back, a much deeper tone that I knew all too well. My gears immediately froze. There, right in front of me, was the head of the performance department of the fair. 

“Oh, Hello, Mr. Maloney.” I smiled at him. He looked at me, confused. 

“Honeybee, isn’t your show over? You should be powered down by now.” He snapped, not even saying a greeting. I winced at how I was being treated. 

“I just thought I would..” 

“Thought? Honey, you shouldn’t think. You’re a performer, you perform. That’s what you were built to do. To entertain those people. If you’re thinking otherwise now, I should call a robotics company to come take a loo-” 

I cut him off. “I just thought I would go straight back to my dressing room. I am finished with my show, Now it is time to power down.” I say blankly to him, with much robotic-nature. He smiled, to my disgust. 

“I guess you’re not broken after all. Get to it, girl. Don’t let me catch you wandering around or I’ll call the repairman.” He snorted before trudging back to his office. I took a deep breath of air in and turned around, seeing Rabbit in the doorway. His face told me he overheard much of the conversation just held, and he did not find it one bit appealing. 

“Rabbit-” 

“He should not be treating you like that.” 

“Rabbit, it is what I was programmed to-” 

“I was programmed for something too, Honey. I do it.” He sighs, looking at me straight in the eye, “That doesn’t mean I can’t live my own life too. Whatever life I have.” 

“What I would not give to live.” I whispered. I heard his steps come closer and suddenly, I was in the arms of the other robot, being pulled against his chest. “What is this?” I asked him, confused at what was being done. It made me feel strangely happy and important, being in his arms like this, but I still did not know why. After a few seconds in the position, he lets go of me and smiles, I feel my cheeks overheat. 

“It’s a hug. It’s used to show affection, I guess. You’ll live, Honeybee. I’ll make sure of it. I’ll make you live. Come on.” He puts out a hand. “Let’s go.” 

“But my boss-” 

“Really?” He gives me a look, “What happened to ‘I want to live’” 

I chuckle and take his hand in mine, he whisks me off to another day of adventures. 

“It’s called popcorn. Humans love it, but my humans don’t like cleaning it out from me.” Rabbit chuckles, “Luckily, they won’t find out!” 

I smile and take a piece of the popped corn from the container in his hand and nibbled on it, it was salty and buttery, as we stand in line for the ferris wheel. It was very tall, one of the tallest rides in the fair and my chest sank as I looked up. Rabbit noticed and grabbed my hand. 

“Hey, you said you wanted to fly. It’ll be like that, don’t worry.” Rabbit reassured me, I immediately felt a bit better about the ride. When the ride attendant reluctantly let us on, after an exchange of odd looks from him, we sat in the small compartment side by side and I immediately wrapped my arms around one of Rabbit’s, clinging onto him as I looked outside. “You’re really afraid?” He said, frowning. I nodded slightly and shook when the ride started to move, he looked down at me and smiled softly. “You’re fine, You’re with me! I’ll protect you from anything. We’re closed off, too, so we won’t break or anything. Honeybee, we’re going to be okay. Kids ride this, too.” 

“It is not that I am scared of the ride,” I admit and he looks at me with a confused glance, “It is that I do not know how I will feel when I am finally at the top. I have wanted to fly for all of my life, and now I get to see how it feels and I am afraid.” I spat out, without very much thinking. 

“Why are you afraid?” He asks. I open my mouth to answer and then close it, thinking about why. Why was I? Why was this sinking feeling in my chest? 

“I do not know.” I answer, after much thought. He smiles and holds me close. 

“Then you’ll be alright.” He whispers as we get higher and higher, “I promise. Just look.” He whispered pointing out. It was in that moment that I realized that we were already at the top, looking out over the whole fair. I immediately was on the edge of my seat. 

I could see everything. My whole life, right there, and it seemed so small for the first time. I saw how shut in the fair was, how locked in I was in this little part of the world, when outside of the gates there was more. Rabbit was right, there were mountains and I could see a forest and.. It was amazing. There were so many lights and sounds and things to see. The dancing lights of the other games around me, the sound of children’s laughter, the beeping of cars below us, the muffled sound of music from the fair. It was all so far away, I felt on top of it all, In the clouds. 

It was wonderful. 

I was pulled back into reality when Rabbit tapped me on my shoulder. I sat back into my seat and looked at him. 

“I’m sorry to pull you away from all of... this. But, I’ve been thinking. I really wanted to give you something.” He whispers, smiling and looking me in the eyes. 

“Another present? Rabbit, you spoil me.” I smile, “This was all I could ever ask for and you have given it to me.” 

“Come on, just one more.” He held up a finger and gave me a pleading look. I giggled and nodded. 

“Fine, alright. I feel like I owe you so much already, though.” 

“Oh, no. You don’t owe me anything, Honeybee.” He smiled and took one of my hands. “Oh, yeah, you have to close your eyes.” 

I did as I was told and smiled, waiting for whatever surprise would surely be put into my hands. The biggest surprise was that suddenly, I felt cold rubber lips on my own, and a spark that I would love to feel forever. It was over all too soon when the lips were brought back and I frowned and opened my eyes. 

“What was that?” I asked, his face was red with steam and he smiled, smugly. 

“Um, It’s also a sign of human affection, but it’s used when someone loves another person. Do you know what love it, Honeybee?” 

“Love..” I asked. I searched the files in my brain for anything on love. “Love?” 

He smiled and pointed down at a couple below us sharing a milkshake, so close to each other, and looking like the other was the only one in the world. 

“It’s when you feel... so connected to another person that you put their needs above your own. You feel like they’re the best person in the world.” Rabbit explained, taking my hands in his own. “Do you understand?” 

I stared down at the couple for a few more seconds and then looked back to Rabbit, staring into his eyes. 

“I... love you.” I whispered. His eyes widened and his mouth opened. “I love you, Rabbit.” 

“You.. do?” He asked, I saw oil build up in his eyes and immediately felt terrible for mentioning it. 

“Oh goodness, I did not mean to make your eyes leak-” 

“No, It’s a good leaking. I’m happy. I’m so happy, Honeybee.” His voice cracked through his mouth as he wiped the oil from his eyes. The only thing I could think of doing when I saw him there, at the top of the world with me, was to lean in and press my lips against his again. The spark was stronger this time, and I felt a few circuits in me pop with excitement. It was then that the fireworks show started. We broke apart and jolted back from our world, I leaned my head on his shoulder and watched the fireworks show with my Rabbit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> get ready for the next chapter, that's where the feels come in. for now, have some cute robots kissing for the first time. ur welcome


	3. Let Myself Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry

Once again, I was a statue. 

Years had passed since the days I spend with the robot boy and slowly, people stopped going to the fair we inhabited. The fair had to raise their prices to gain more money since the economy was down, but unfortunately, no one had enough money to go anymore. Finally, it was through. The fair had ended and the workers had closed the gates. 

They left me. 

No one had stopped to think about the piece of metal that spun around like a ballerina on the stage over by the haunted houses, they just knew that they couldn’t keep the fair going, and so, they couldn’t keep me going. 

It was lonely. I thought about Rabbit a lot. He said he would come back, he said if he ever had the time and money, he would come back. He was in San Diego, I was across the country. Once, when I could still move, I found a newspaper that had flown onto the fairground that read about Steam Powered Giraffe, a robot band from San Diego, California, and how they were coming out with a new album soon. I stared at the picture of the three robots, Jon was not present. An unfamiliar robot stood in his place, Where had the Jon gone? I stood at the Spine, his vest had gotten more detailed and his face had been upgraded more. He looked so different than when I saw him years ago. Finally, after hesitation, I looked at the printed picture of my Rabbit. It was like he wasn’t there anymore. I was confused, after staring at the picture, but he had changed so much. 

His face was almost unrecognizable, and light greens and blues decorated the metal. He looked, for lack of a better word, different. I thought to myself, It’s a good different, I guess. They’re getting bigger, they’re making it happen. The band’s finally getting the recognition they deserve. I used whatever strength in the gears behind my face to manage a smile. I pinned the newspaper up in my dressing room, in front of the fraying wallpaper and deteriorating walls. 

It was fifteen years since the fair shut down that I accepted that I had been forgotten. The only piece of Rabbit I had left, my laced umbrella, had long since decayed and all that was left was a skeleton. No one was coming to get you, Honeybee. You’re alone, as you always were. Rabbit had forgotten, I concluded after much thinking. Rabbit had forgotten about the unimportant little robot girl across the country waiting for him to show her the world. He was too caught up in his success that he didn’t have time to think about her. 

It was painful, when I first came to the thought. After I stopped being able to move, I accepted it. 

The rust in my joints had gotten too bad, the decayed matter in my chest was slowly going out. I would have flashes of darkness, and come back to the world a couple days later. I felt myself slipping away everyday, but no matter how hard it was, I kept myself on. It took it’s toll on me, but I managed for a few months to just sit there in the metal shell, unmoving, but still thinking and somewhat still here. The shiny gold face I had once seen in the mirror was now blackened with dust and dirt that I could not wipe away. My clothes, once beautiful and perfect, were now torn and wrinkled, unable to stand the years of neglect. 

There were days where it was hard, I wanted so much to move myself from the wall I had been pinned against, just to see something other than the rubble and destroyed fair I had lived in, but no matter how hard I tried, the most I could do was stay online. I longed to hear a voice again, even my own, but no one ever came. A couple years ago, I had found out about a rumor that the fair had been haunted, so no one was brave enough to come except teenagers being dared and then turning back home, too freaked out to even step foot through the gates. 

I missed the smiles the most, I could use one right now. All I could ever look at was my destroyed stage, caved in and having been eaten by termites. It was awful, but I kept going. All I had were my thoughts. Occasionally, an animal entered the fairground. One time, a stray kitten fell asleep on my lap. Those were the better days. The worse days were the ones filled with silence, every other day of my existence. 

The day came. I heard footsteps creaking over the rubble of the forgotten fair, and I tried to plead ‘please, please find me. please fix me. please help me.’ with no luck. My voicebox had malfunctioned years before. The footsteps were closer and closer, until they were close enough that I heard the turning of gears and steam escaping to the air. My chest sank. I did not want any of my robot friends to see me like this, I was dying, malfunctioning, broken. 

It would be worse if Rabbit were to see me as I am. 

My fears were confirmed by a whispered ‘No.’ 

I saw, through my cracked eyes that made everything distorted, A woman staring down at me with the worst expression on her face. The face was the same as the one on the poster and I would know it anywhere, It was my Rabbit. 

“No, H-H-Honeybee, No.” She whispered, falling to her knees. “No, this isn’t supposed to happen. This isn’t what happened to you. You were- You were supposed to...” She whispered, crawling closer. She put a hand on my cheek and I all I wanted, more than anything else, was to touch hers back, and have her in my arms, and tell her that everything was alright. I’d be lying, I wouldn’t lie to Rabbit. 

“No, No, N-N-N-No..” She repeated, over and over, touching her forehead to my own. It was then that I realized the stutter in her voice, had she been malfunctioning? Had something inside her broke? Did she let herself go? I felt a drip of oil fall onto my face. I mistook it for my own, what a blessing it would be to cry, but it was Rabbit’s. I wanted to scream, I wanted to kiss her, I wanted to tell her how much I missed her, how I waited everyday for her. Instead of doing what I wanted, my body was still. 

I saw her reach towards my chest and rip open my shirt, clawing desperately at the hatch that held my matter. When she opened it, I swear I could see her face fall. 

It was still glowing, sure, but it was faded so much that it was beyond repair. She looked back at me. I wanted to say something. I wanted to say how beautiful she was. I wanted her to tell me everything I wasn’t there for. I wanted to scream that I was still here. 

“Honeybee?” She asked, expecting a response. 

I had to do something. I had to. I tried to move my hand. Nothing. I tried to move my head, nothing would go. Finally, I gathered every strength I could find left in my unmoving body, just to give her one last smile. To my wonder, it worked, I saw my smile reflected in Rabbit’s metal and she let out a heavy breath. 

“Honeybee..” She cried out, wiping away oil from her eyes. “Honeybee, Y-Y-You’re still here.” 

I don’t know for how long, I wanted so much to say as I let go of my smile. But now that you’re here I don’t feel so bad about leaving. 

Rabbit smiled a weak smile, but even that gave me a small smark. It gave me strength. She took my hand in hers, I gently, with the given strength, squeezed it, just to let her know I was still here for now. 

“I w-wanted to come back. I saved up whatever mon-money I could, I swear. I thought about you so much. There wasn’t a day that I wished y-you came back to San Diego with me. The other bots missed you. The Jon did... He’s gone now, too. Now we have Hatchworth. H-H-He’s a great, bot. We released a new a-a-a-a-a-album. I bec-c-c-came who I always f-f-f-felt like..” With every sentence Rabbit whispered to me, she grew more and more upset until the chokes and stutters in her voice grew to be too much. I felt a drip of oil on my face once again, but with much surprise, it was my own. I had oil left behind my photoreceptors? 

“I e-e-e-even wrote a song for you, Honeybee. It’s e-e-everyone’s favorite.. It’s a-actually what m-m-m-made us more known...” She quietly sobbed into my ear. I felt honored, I had thought so much that Rabbit had just forgotten about me, but she had never once, for a day, stopped loving me. 

Please. I thought. Please sing it for me. Please, Sing. 

Rabbit wiped at her face with her gloved hand and opened her mouth to take a breath in. 

You didn’t have to look my way. 

Your eyes still haunt me until this day, 

but you did. Yes, you did. 

You didn’t have to say my name, 

Ignite my circuits and start a flame. 

Y-Y-You did.. 

She struggled with the words, I could tell. It didn’t matter though, I was finally here with my Rabbit, she’s close to me, and she’s singing beautiful words that mean so much. 

Turpentine erase m-me whole. 

I don’t w-want to live my life a-a-lone. 

I was waiting for you all my life.. 

She took a while to sing the next part, as if gathering up her strength. I didn’t mind, it looked like it was taking a toll on her to sing this song for me. I was so proud. 

Set me free.. My- My- My- My- My- 

She couldn’t stop. With every repeated word she sang, it kept hitting her harder and harder until finally, she couldn't take it. She stopped singing and let out a huge cry. The oil from her eyes dirtied my already-ruined skirt and the tears slowly sank down her face as she looked at me. 

I tried so hard to say something. I tried to find the words, I had to say something to my Rabbit. My Rabbit, My Rabbit.. 

“Love..... Y... ou...” My cracked, staticy voice box finally managed to spit out and I cried globs of oil in my triumph. 

Rabbit’s cries grew louder and I was afraid she didn’t hear me through them, until she said, “Oh, Honeybee.... I love you so much.” Into my ear. 

That was all I needed to hear, That was all I had waited for. I couldn’t hold on for much longer. 

So, I finally let myself go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and now the fanfic is over. which is weird to think about, because i had this sitting in my documents for so long. i hope you all enjoyed it!


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